Pilots, aircraft, and ground-based aviation enthusiasts descended on South Carolina’s Triple Tree Aerodrome near Greenville for the tenth annual Triple Tree Fly-In, held this year from Sept. 7 through 11, under startlingly blue skies and brilliant sunshine. The airfield’s signature 7,000-by-400-foot bentgrass landing strip was the star attraction, followed closely by Southern hospitality. Guidelines posted online for attendees included a thank you note with instructions to “enjoy the fun, fellowship, and hospitality.”
Pilots flocked in early for Thursday night’s "cook your own steak" option, which has become a calling card for those in the know. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were served throughout the event with signature Southern flair and hospitality. Many pitched tents near their aircraft nestled among the hardwoods and tall pines of the immaculately maintained 400-acre facility. A 4,000-by-200-foot lake doubled as an amphibious landing area and a bass fishing spot.
Weekend highlights included AOPA President Mark Baker’s Pilot Town Hall in a hangar filled with a restored Spartan Executive, P-51 Mustang, and T-6 Texan owned by airfield patriarch Pat Hartness. The Spartanburg Jazz Ensemble provided evening entertainment. Hands-on workshops were scheduled for attendees interested in learning more about engines, fabric coverings, and electronics; others simply took advantage of favorable weather and runway conditions to hone their soft-field techniques.
Triple Tree also hosts the annual Joe Nall Week, a radio control fly-in attended by thousands, which is scheduled for May 13 through 20, 2017.
